Wright L. Lassiter Jr., chancellor of the Dallas County Community College District, delivered the keynote address, in which he urged students to lead with their hearts and make an impact in their communities.

“As my father told me from a young age, ‘Service is the rent you pay for the space you occupy here on earth,'” Lassiter said. “And then he would add, ‘Junior, I want you to always live in a high-rent district.'”